China Town

I have three good friends that were born 24 days before me on June 3rd 1983. Tyler, JT, and Tracy. Every year I call all three (and I probably only remember it because there’s three o them). I didn’t think I would see any of them this year because I’m in San Francisco. Much to my surprise, when I called Tracy she asked, “When are you coming to San Francisco to see me?”. I was stunned, “why would I come to San Francisco when you live in New York?”

ben collins and tracy butcholskiApparently I’m a bad friend. Tracy and I haven’t seen each other since my last Job interview in New York, which was September of 2005. We talk on our birthdays, and when something really bad happens, but since neither of have been dumped recently, I didn’t know that she had moved to San Francisco with her boyfriend last August. I’ve probably spent 8 or ten weeks here since August, and Tuesday night was the first time I’ve gone into the city to visit a friend. (I’m also a bad friend because I chose a picture where I look good, knowing that Tracy doesn’t read this site and may never find out that I posted a picture of her with her eyes closed wearing a pink Chinese hat.)

It worked out well. I went to China Town with Tracy’s whole family (they flew in from Jersey to see her), then stayed in the city so that I could swim at the Olympic Club Wednesday morning, and ride the Alcatraz bike course. This is only the second time I’ve ridden the course, but I’m pretty sure I’m going to have fun racing it on Sunday.

I’m having issues trying to get the files from my Garmin Forerunner 305 to show on my site. I’ve posted maps before, but I want to put up the cool graphs from the Garmin Training Center. Once I figure out how to format the graph and post it, I can put up a chart of my race in Seoul, which shows why ITU races really aren’t “easier” than non-drafting races. The speeds are all over the place, and the course is far more technical. I would call it different. Not harder, not necessarily easier, just different.

Published by Ben

Ben Collins Professional Triathlete

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5 Comments

  1. Yeah I thought that too about my best friend from middle school and high school, Paula (peoplepaula.com) (she pretty much never reads my site even though I look at hers all the time) (hers is better) – she has spent Christmas with me and my family for years, and this Christmas I posted a photo where I looked great and she looked O.K. and man I got reamed. Actually, I would have stayed under the radar had I not linked to her site in association with the photo… so I did deserve to get caught after that dumbass maneuver.

    Have a great time on Sunday. I love that bike course, I have never done the race but I did that course all the time back in 2003 and 2004 when I first started cycling and I lived in the city. Please don’t tell me you were still in high school at that time (actually I think Soda was though). There’s almost nothing better than riding such a great course in such a great city. Also now that Greg is officially not racing, I am allowed to root for you!

  2. Wait, Soda, you’re confusing me, sometimes you sign comments as Christine, and other times as Soda, why the the variance?

    No, you’re not older. The only difference is that from now on you get to take care of yourself, and people will expect that you do something productive with you life. I’m not sure what the future is for a Women’s Studies major living in Tiburon, but it will probably make you feel older.

  3. NOW I FEEL OLDER. THANKS A LOT.

    HAVE FUN on Sunday!

    Kind of a bummer how we lose touch with friends like that, huh? I’ve got friends sending me messages saying things like “so are you still living in Marin?” As in…I just moved up to SANTA ROSA (kinda far from Marin…) only 6 months ago…why wouldn’t I still be there?

    That’s life, I guess. I think that’s why I like Facebook more than any other thing…you can kind of keep tabs on old friends without actually having to call/email them all the time…much more time-efficient. 😉

  4. for your information I don’t do anything my computer randomly decides what I am going to comment as. Does it confuse you that much??

    For the record I am a medieval history major and I still have loving parents whom are supporting me!!

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